The Boy Under the Bridge
by Noodle-licious
Summary: Feliks lives under a bridge and Toris tries to help him with... life, I guess. Rated M for language (and other ideologically sensitive spoilers) R&R and enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

_**Hey, I'm not too dead! So I guess I'm writing another Lietpol fic, there isn't really much to say, I guess...**_

"You know, you're lucky that I'm doing this."

A blonde girl sat in the passenger seat of Toris's car playing with her hair. He usually didn't pick up hitch-hikers, but she seemed… Trustworthy enough, at least. Everyone else was shady and dirty-looking.

"I understand that. Thanks." She was dressed in a pink button up and ripped jeans. She was somewhat boy-ish, which Toris couldn't decide if he liked or not. It reminded him quite a bit of Natalia, his current partner – and hopefully, future fiancé.

"You said you needed to get to highway 59, correct?" It was an awkward car ride, maybe if he striked up a conversation it would ease the tension? Plus he forgot where he was going.

"Yup. That's where I got to go." She gave him a warming smile which he returned. He still didn't completely trust her, but she seemed nice enough.

"Hey, like, what's your name?" She twisted sideways to look at him. "I like, forgot to ask."

Oh god. This isn't the kind of question you just tell a stranger… but he wasn't prepared for this. The first name that came to mind-

"Natailia- Dah! No, Ivan. I'm Ivan. Sorry." Natalia's brother. That works.

"Who's Natalia?" She seemed saddened, almost offended by the mention of this girl's name. Her face portrayed a slight sense of worry.

"She's a friend-"

"Are you dating this girl?" Toris was appalled be how she spoke. She sounded almost angry, as though he was dating _her _and cheating with another woman.

"Why do you care? Why am I even telling you? I'm just driving you downtown, you don't even need to know anything."

"So you're totally dating her."

"Let up., it doesn't even matter!" Toris's patience was wearing thin. He knew he was overreacting, but it had been a day full of event, mostly at work.

"You can tell me. Also-"

"I don't have to drive you anywhere, you know. I could kick you out of my car right now."

"Go ahead. You just passed my home."

"Your home?" Toris pulled the car over, and the girl crawled out and adjusted her skirt. "What home? I mean, we didn't pass any houses, there's not really anything on this little highway."

"Thanks for the ride, Ivan. It saved me like, so muck time and so much trouble."

"Wait, where are you going?" Toris crawled across the dashboard of his car to grab her arm as she began to walk off.

"I told you, home."

"There aren't any houses within walking distance. We aren't even in near town yet!"

"You don' need a house to have a home, Ivan. Silly!" Toris store at the woman, a bit boggled. She sighed and yanked her arm away. "Do you want to _see_ where I live? You seem confused."

"No, it's just… You don't look like you're homeless. You seem healthy, and you're very pretty."

"Thank you, sir." She dipper her head and giggled. "Yah, I don't always look too good. But when times are hard, I always spring back up. Kind of like a phoenix."

"Well, thanks again, Ivan." She began to walk away towards the bridge that was just passed. Luckily the highway wasn't busy, or she would have been hit, walking in the middle of the road like she was.

"Wait! Hey!"

She turned around. "Hay is for ponies."

"You're just gonna leave?"

"Yah. Why?"

"What's your name?" Toris got out of his car and took a few steps toward her. "I mean, I told you mine, isn't it only fair I knew yours?"

"Oh, yah, I guess so. My name's Feliks."

Toris could only hope that his face didn't portray the emotions he felt, he'd be quite embarrassed. "Feliks is a…"

"Feliks is a… what?" She looked at him with an annoyed, almost angry expression.

"Feliks is a b… a boy's name, isn't it?"

She stomped a foot, crossed her arms and opened her mouth angrily. "Ah! Yes, it is! Did you really think I was a girl, you jackass?!"

"Well- No, yes! No! No! I just-"

"Dude, I'm a dude, too!" And to think you were different!"

"No! That's not what I meant!" Feliks was already marching away, talking and cursing to himself. "Sorry…" Toris whispered to himself and climbed back into the driver seat. Time to go home; here's a story for his roommates.

_**Ah, another fic where Feliks is mistook for a girl. As if there aren't enough of those going around. Sorry, I'm a bit uncreative. :I I'm sorry. R&amp;R, I guess. I promise the next chapter won't be boring. I swear. :I**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Okay, I'm not sure why, but the first time I posted this, the word wasn't there, just some coding. I fixed it. Gomenasai! Forgive me!**_

Toris kept an eye out for Feliks as he drove down the road. After his unintentionally rude sendoff, he wanted more than anything to apologize.

It was around the same time of the day that he saw her yesterday: 19:00, when the sun starts to set. There was a very slim chance that Feliks was there, unless he took this walk everyday.

Suddenly, as he turned a corner, Toris caught glimpse of short blonde hair on a pink sweater and skirt. Feliks was walking in the same direction that he was yesterday. Back home, presumably.

As Toris pulled the car over towards him, Feliks tensed up and looked as though he was going to run, but he stayed in place as Toris rolled down the window.

"Need a ride?"

Feliks looked confused for a moment, then seemed to relax as he recognized the boy from yesterday.

"Not from assholes like you."

"That's actually what I came here for."

"Oh, did you now?" He gave a sarcastic yawn. "Whelp, lay it on me, Ivan."

"Ivan… Wh- Oh yah. Well, I felt really bad about calling you a girl yesterday. I usually keep my thoughts to myself. I'm sorry for blurting that out, and calling you a girl. I couldn't really tell…"

Feliks thought for a moment. "Yah, I guess it's okay. It was really uncool of me to storm off like that. People usually assume I'm a girl."

Toris smiled apologetically. "So, you need a ride again? I kind of owe you one."

Feliks reflected him. "Thanks, Ivan."

The ride was silent and tense. Toris continuously shot Feliks momentary glances, making sure he was alright, and not too angry. It didn't seem so, he was just sitting there, playing with his hair, his skirt, anything he could get his hands on.

"Stop here," Feliks ordered suddenly, ripping his hands away from the buttons on his shirt to point at the bridge that he disappeared under the day before.

"Here?" Toris pulled over at the end of the short little bridge, maybe about twenty feet long.

"Yah," Feliks stepped out of the car and waved goodbye to Toris. "Thank you so much, for the ride and the apology." She strode towards the hill next to the bridge, and turned only to see that Toris wasn't leaving. "What do you want?"

"Uhm," Toris hung his head slightly. "Uh, you offered to show me where you lived yesterday, and I'm still kind of curious."

The blonde boy gave a sideways glance. "Mmm… Sure! Come on."

"Oh!" Toris was surprised. "Really? Now?"

"Why not? Isn't that Why you asked… you know, now?"

"Well, I didn't expect you to say yes. I thought you were still pissed at me. And it's also kind of late, my roommates might get worried. I'm supposed to be home now."

"Ooh! Roomies! Who are they, do tell?" Feliks came back to the car and put his head on his hands and rested his arms on the open window.

"Eduard, Ravis, Toris, Na-"

"You mean those Russians who make and sell the amber jewelry at their house?"

Toris was surprised that Feliks knew about that. Eduard, Ravis and him had been making jewelry in their free time and selling it locally, just through friends and over Etsy. Feliks must have heard it somewhere. The three worked very nicely together- Eduard took care of the sales and clients with custom orders and orders materials and things, mostly amber. Toris designed most of the patterns, and Ravis made little charms if they were needed. All three of them actually assembled the jewelry. Necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings… some miscellaneous accessories, phone charms, glass figures… anything, really.

"Yah, them, and their not Russian. Eduard is Estonian, Ravis-"

"Hey, same difference."

"No, Not really."

"It's all the same to me. Almost everyone looks the same to me."

"Really? When I saw you, I knew immediately that you were European. Polish? Somewhere in that area?"

Feliks looked surprised. "You see that, and yet you still mistook me for a girl?" He put a hand on his hip.

Toris squinted at him but couldn't help laughing.

"What's so funny?" Feliks flipped his hair out of his face. "What are you laughing at?"

"Can I just see your house already?"

"Home."

"Home."

"Yah, see, I don't have a-"

"Hey, same difference." Toris winked at him and climbed out of the car. He knew it wasn't true.

"Touché." Feliks began to walk away. "This way."

Toris unlocked his car, grabbed his phone, and slammed the door behind him. He'd just text Ravis and say he might be a bit late getting home. He followed Feliks to the side of the bridge.

"So, you live down there?"

"Yup. Down under the highway. Close your eyes."

Toris reluctantly did as he was told. Feliks grabbed him by the sleeve and tugged him down a steep, grassy hill. He felt his feet hit payment again.

"Open." Toris revealed to himself a small highway underpass. The first thing he noticed was that three large boxes sat to the left side of everything – one housed cans, water bottles, and other various food items. One was empty, and the last was turned away. Another eye-catching factor was a small mattress with a few blankets and pillows straggled over it. Next to it was another small box turned upside down with a few candles and small items on it- most likely a makeshift nightstand. A few plastic bags lay around, weighted by rocks. A trash bag sat, filled with returnables. Two others were filled with clothing. It was somewhat… impressive, to say something.

"Well, c'mon!" Feliks tugged on Toris's sleeve. "Lemme show you around." He seemed extremely excited to have a visitor.

"This is my food and… stuff." Feliks led Toris to the trio of boxes. "I actually have quite a bit, but I'm not sure how much of it is good…" He then stepped onto his bed- or really, it was only a mattress. "Here's where I sleep. Cozy, actually. This-" He gestured to the bag of clothing, "Is my laundry. I only get to do it once every few weeks, It's a long walk to the Laundromat. Also, their washers really suck." He finally picked up the bags of cans and bottles. "And this it where most of my money comes from. I find stuff on the road and, um, I sometimes might maybe dig through a garbage can or two… Well, mostly digging through garbage, now. I guess people are becoming more eco-friendly. They used to just throw stuff out their windows." He sighed.

Toris looked around the setup for himself again. It was actually quite clean – a broom and dustpan even took up residence against the wall, behind the boxes.

"Yup. This is totally the Łukasiewicz experience. Make yourself at home, Ivan."

"Uh, Ivan isn't my name." Toris looked away from Feliks nervously.

"What? Uh, like, yah it is. You said it was."

"No, actually. My name is Toris Laurinaitis. Ivan is more like… my landlord. I live with him, his sisters and my half-brothers. There's this other guy, too, who practically lives at our house. He may as well, I mean, he's over all the time. Very nice guy. He's from China."

"Sounds annoying. Isn't it crowded?"

"Ne, the house is huge. Two stories, five bedrooms, six beds, three bathrooms, and a huge kitchen."

"Damn! Lucky you…" Feliks's shoulders slumped a bit. "Sounds pretty great."

"Um… I should probably get home. It's getting late."

"You've been here for like, two minutes!"

"Yah, but I'm already running kind of late. I'm sorry Feliks. I'll be back. I'll make it up to you. I'll… I'll…" Toris picked up the bags of dirty cloths. "I'll clean this for you!" He knew it wasn't much.

"You'll be back?" Feliks's eyes lit up like an excited child's would.

"Yah, why not? How else would I get your laundry back to you?

"Oh, yah. Thanks!" the spark in him left, to leave a seemingly sad, hollow boy. What's his problem? Did he want his laundry back or not?

"Well, bye." Toris swung the bags over his shoulder and carried it up the hill.

"See you tomorrow, Ivan- Toris. I mean Toris. See you Tomorrow, Toris." Feliks waved to him as he scaled the hill and returned to his car.

_**Yah, sorry, I lied, this chapter is kind of boring, too. I'm so sorry! The next one will be... Exciting, to say the least. i actually have most of it typed up already ;) R&amp;R, always!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hey! It's been a while since i updated this, huh? Yeah. Well, I guess this is where it gets a bit... interesting, i guess? So, RR, and enjoy!**_

* * *

"Where were you? It's nine-thirty! You're an hour and a half late! What the hell?" Toris was greeted at the door by and angry Natalia. "And what's with the clothes?"

"Hello, dear." Toris scowled at her and hung up the leather jacket he wore everyday. "They're a friends'."

"Why do you have them?" She shouted, "What's this 'friend's' name? And you still haven't told me where you were!" Toris ignored here and scooted his way into the laundry room. Eduard was sitting on a small bench in the room with his laptop. He was staring at a vase of flowers in the corner. Natalia followed him.

"Hey, Eduard. Whatcha doing' in the laundry room?" Toris asked. It was a dumb question. Eduard would sit anywhere. He was once on the roof, trying to see if he could find how steep the roof was and its weak spots, because a storm was supposed to hit. (He was pissed when it didn't.) He felt concerned after he found out that Ravis was afraid of storms wreaking their house, or something crazy like that.

"Mmm. Just thinking. Hey, What if we pressed this flower and put it in glass like a bug in amber? It'd look really cool."

"How would that be pulled off? That would burn the flower, wouldn't it?"

"It was just a thought. "I don't know; it wouldn't hurt to try."

"I guess." Toris bent over and started throwing colored clothes into the washer.

Eduard stood up. "I'll leave you to that, then." He scooted his way out of the small room, too small for even two people. He held the laptop close to his chest, hitting Natalia's shoulder on the way out.

"Watch it, Ed." She growled at him and glared, in the hateful manner that she did with almost everyone.

"Sorry." He backed his way out of the room, careful not to anything or anyone else.

Toris shoved what he could of the clothes into the machine. Most of them were pink, he found, but really he wasn't paying much attention to what he put in.

As he stood up, he grabbed the two bags, both about a third of the way full. After filling and turning on the machine, he went to leave the room, only to be greeted with a sudden burst of painful stinging on the side of his face. He dropped the bags. "What-"

"What was that?!" Natalia yelled at her partner. "Why didn't you answer me?"

Toris put a hand to his cheek. "Did you just hit me?"

She slapped him again, this time on the opposite side of his face.

"I'm asking the questions here! Why didn't you answer me before?"

"I j- just… Y- you… It's none of your b- business!" Another smack.

"Of course it's my business, I was worried! Where were you?"

"With a f- friend."

"What friend? What's their name?"

"Feliks… He's polish."

"What the fuck are you doing with his damn clothes?" Her face was turning bright red with anger.

"I'm washing them." She balled up her fist and hit him in the upper arm.

"Why? Why the hell can't ho do it himself? Why you?"

"I- I'm just doing a favor for a friend. He doesn't have access to a-" She hit him once more.

"Shut up! You know what, it doesn't matter!" She grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and slammed him against the wall. He slid down.

"I'm sorry for whatever I did…" What exactly did he do to enrage her like this? He thought she had given up on hurting him… he must have really pissed her off to drive her to her old ways again… maybe he deserved it?

This thought drove him to tears. It wasn't the physical pain, but the emotional pain the thought caused. He hurt her, so she did justice.

"Really? How dull are you? Put your fucking mind to it, and then maybe I'll think about forgiving your sorry ass!" She stormed out of the little room. Toris stayed sitting down, concentrating his will on trying to banish the pain, to no avail.

"Toris?" Eduard poked his head in the doorway, after a few minutes. "What's wrong? I heard yelling, you okay?"

"Yeah, y- yeah. I'm f- f- fine." Toris curled his body in on himself, hiding his still blotchy red face, a result from crying. He was doing all he could to prevent it from happening again.

"Are you sure? You don't look okay." Eduard's voice was light and slightly too high-pitched, as though talking to a hurt child. That's probably how he thought Toris felt.

In truth, it was.

"Yup," Toris made a last ditch effort to control his emotions. He looked up, smiling, hiding that he really felt bruised and confused. "I'm good."

"Are you?" Eduard seemed suspicious of his deceiving smile. "What happened? Your face is red."

"Is it?" Toris felt his face: very warm. Touching the raw skin only intensified the pain. He almost winced. "We… had an argument. I guess I got a bit angry."

"Oh? What did you fight about, if I may ask?"

"I'd… Prefer not to talk about it."

Eduard was silent for a moment. "Okay. Hope it works out, then." He vanished into the other room.

Toris stopped himself from keeping Eduard there, to tell him what happened, to have someone there who wouldn't hurt him, someone just to comfort him. Part of him wanted this, but he also knew that Eduard probably wouldn't care, and that Natalia would be angry.

Again.

If anyone knew and she found out, Toris would be put through hell, and he knew it. She'd done things like this before, long before. He even had scars on his upper body from where she cut him when he even mentioned leaving. Scars on his body where he's been slashed and scratched. Scars on his mind that haunted him day to day, ones that had been cut deeper and deeper until they finally had time to heal, only to be ripped back open. She'd done a lot to him.

Things that despite all the pain, just couldn't turn his love for her.

Toris stood up on shaky legs. Okay, what exactly had he done to upset her? Was she jealous that he was sending time with someone else? He said Feliks was a boy, right? He hasn't swung that way since collage when he dated (coincidentally) her brother, Ivan, a couple of years ago. Eh, he tried.

_It juat wasn't right for you,_ called a little voice from the back of his mind, _but is this any better?_

* * *

"Natalia?" Toris poked his head into their room. "Nati, are you awake?"

"Mmm…?" A tired moan came from the darkness.

"I'm sorry. I just had a friend in need who I felt responsible for." He sat at the edge of the bed and put a hand gently on her shoulder. She was turned away from him, halfway curled up on the mattress.

"You know you're not though? You don't have to help him."

"That would be rude, though."

"Yeah, but what has he done for you?"

"Well, nothing, but…"

"But what?" She pushed herself into a sitting position, and stared foreword.

"Well… What are friends for?" Natalia responded to this by dropping back down onto the mattress with a soft thump. Toris dropped down with her.

"Don't be jealous." He brought himself close to her, matching the contours of her familiar body, and brought his arm around her.

"I'm not jealous."

"Sure." He buried his face in her neck. "I love you."

She didn't answer.


End file.
